


Repercussions

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Angst, Episode Tag, Episode: s01e22 What Kind of Day Has It Been, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-08-25
Updated: 2000-08-25
Packaged: 2019-05-15 14:19:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: In the wake of the shooting, the staff realizes what's really important.





	Repercussions

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Disclaimer:  "The West Wing" and all its wonderful characters don’t belong to us, they belong to the Wing God Aaron Sorkin.  We are claiming nothing; no profit no infringement; this is just for fun.

 

Authors’ Notes: This is the second fan fiction we have written.  This story is somewhat of a sequel to our first fan fic "In the Beginning."  Any and all feed back is welcome.  You may archive the story but please ask us first.

 

Spoilers:????

 

REPERCUSSIONS

By: Tara and Rachel

 

 

            Josh slowly headed for his office.  The President’s words had brought him some comfort in the wake of the nightmarish events of the past few hours.  

‘It still seems like a bad dream,’ he thought.

Josh had planned to spend the rest of the evening quietly working in his office.  But when he flipped the lights on in his office, Josh realized that the remainder of his evening was going to be far from quiet.

 

Across the West Wing, in the communications bullpen, Sam and Leo were in the middle of a heated conversation.

"You haven’t talked to her?" Sam asked in a worried tone.

"If I did, you’re not exactly the first person I would tell right now!" Leo answered, the anger rising in his voice.  "You are not exactly number one on her list of favorites."  Leo’s expression softened when he saw the pained look in the younger man’s eyes.  "Look, for what it’s worth, I know you care about her.  I can see it by the way you look at her.  But you’ve got to take into account what she’s going through right now."

"Leo, I want to make this right," Sam pleaded, "she’s your daughter, how do I fix this?"

            "I don’t know, Sam," Leo answered, "but you could start by apologizing to her…" Sam headed into his office.  "…And I’m sure begging will be involved!" Leo finished as they parted ways and he headed for his own office.

 

            Back in his office, Josh noticed immediately that someone was sitting in his chair.  He couldn’t tell exactly who it was because they were facing the opposite window.  The person in the chair started to turn around and Josh saw a flash of blond hair, which he recognized instantly.

            "Donna!" he exclaimed, "what are you still doing here?  I thought I told you to go home before we left for Rosslyn."

            His assistant turned the chair around to face him.  In the light, Josh could see that her face was streaked with tears.

            "You did send me home," Moss explained, "but I got a phone call from Bonnie and she told me what happened.  I helped her get all of the other assistants together and we came up here to wait for news."  She paused, as if to gather courage.  "How could you not call me?"  She yelled at him.  "I sat here forever waiting and waiting for you to call!  Why didn’t you call me?"  Donna stood up in frustration and started to leave the room.

            "Donna, I’m sorry.  Things got really chaotic," Josh tried to explain, "If it makes you feel any better, none of the senior staff checked in.  You’re not the only upset assistant."

            Moss managed a small smile.  "I know," she replied, "but that doesn’t give you the right to make me worry like that.  Why are you still here?  Are you planning to work tonight?"

            Josh nodded. "Yeah," he answered sheepishly, "I don’t feel like facing my apartment tonight.  Would you mind helping me out with some of this?"  He motioned to the piles of papers and files that engulfed his desk.  Donna started to object, and he gave her a pleading, almost puppy dog face that he knew she couldn’t resist.

            ‘I hate it when he does that,’ Donna thought to herself, ‘but I do feel sorry for him.  He probably shouldn’t be alone, he might try to upset that ‘delicate system’ of his with a couple of drinks.’

            "Oh, all right," she said out loud as her boss’s face broke into a grin.  She looked at him fiercely, "But don’t think that this means I forgive you yet.  It just means I feel sorry for you right now.  You look like you could use some company."

 

Back in the communications bullpen, Sam was desperately trying to right his most recent wrongdoing.  Ever since the pictures of he and Laurie were published, he hadn’t talked to Mallory.  Sam had never been able to understand what was between them.  But after the shooting, all he could think about was Mallory and how much she meant to him.  

"Mal…" he left a message on her machine for the tenth time.  "Mallory, I know you’re there.  Please pick up, we need to talk about this.  I miss you, I need you.  I know I have to explain some things to you, to apologize for everything.  I don’t want to do this over the machine, but you leave me no other choice.  Tonight, after the shooting all I could think about was you, and how I need you as a part of my life.  I love you, Mallory.  I love you more than I ever thought I could.  I want to know where I stand with you, please talk to me."  With that, the machine clicked off and Sam dejectedly hung up the phone.

 

One hour later, the White House was still as busy as ever.  The senior staff still remained, partly due to the shooting, but also because there was so much that needed to be done.  Sam had finished a statement the President would issue the following day.  He had to run it by Toby and as he headed towards his office, he braced for the inevitable confrontation that would occurred.  

"Toby?" Sam stuck his head in the door of his boss’s office; "I’ve got the statement done if you want to go over it."

"Make it quick," Toby growled, "I’ve got twelve things I’m still trying to finish."  Toby looked up and saw the defeated look on his colleague’s face.  He softened his attitude, ‘This hasn’t been easy for any of us,’ he thought to himself, ‘but he had a lot to deal with even before tonight.’

"I’m sorry, Sam," Ziegler quickly apologized, "I’ve been swamped with paperwork.  Let’s see what you’ve got."

Sam’s face brightened, but also looked shocked as he handed Toby the statement.

‘Why do I feel like I’m in the "Twilight Zone"?’ Sam said to himself, ‘Toby’s never nice to me, especially when I have to show him my work.’

Toby smiled when he saw the range of emotions that passed across Sam’s face.  

"Don’t looked so shocked," Toby admonished him, "I can be nice when I want to be.  Tonight has been a nightmare that none of us want to face, the most we can do is be there for each other.  You’ve had a lot on your plate even before tonight.  However, do not take this uncharacteristic sign of compassion to mean that I like you, or that I forgive you for the earlier incident with your "friend" Laurie."

Sam smiled for the first time that night, "Thanks Toby.  I’ve been trying to get in touch with Mallory tonight and she won’t answer my calls.  Not that I blame her or anything, but I figured that you should check out this statement to make sure it’s coherent.  My mind wasn’t exactly focused on it."

            "Go on, get out of here," Toby growled, "go over to her house if she won’t take your calls.  Beg, boy!  Don’t you know that groveling is the only way to win a woman back?"

            Toby shooed him out of the office and sat back in his chair to review the statement.  Sam left for his office, feeling better than he had all night.

 

            Donna was dutifully typing a memo for Josh about a piece of legislation that he had been working on when Josh poked his head out of his office door.

            "How’s that stuff coming that I asked for?" he demanded.

            "The ‘stuff’, as you put it, is still being typed as you can see.  Give me another five minutes and I will bring it to you," Donna answered.  "By the way," she continued, "Leo said that he needs to see you when you get a minute."

            Josh rolled his eyes, "I don’t have a minute, but that has never stopped Leo before.  Why don’t I head there while you finish that memo for me?  We can go over it when I get back.  Can I get you anything while I’m gone?"

            ‘Where did that come from?’ he asked himself as he saw Donna’s head look up from her work, ‘I’m the boss, I’ve never been nice.’

            "What, I can’t be nice?" Josh asked in surprise.

            "No, no.  It’s not that," Donna replied, "You’ve never volunteered to bring me something when it is specifically not on your way to or from something.  I mean, it’s like if I would have brought you coffee."

            Josh laughed at the memory.  "Really, I’m volunteering to bring you something from the vending machine.  What can I get you?"  

            "Okay, then I’m going to take advantage of the uncharacteristic offer," Donna said, "Could you bring me a cup of coffee?"

            "You got it," Josh replied, "once I get out of Leo’s meeting I’ll bring it to you.  See you in a few."

            ‘Whoa,’ Josh thought to himself, ‘What am I doing?  I need to get a grip!  She knows something is going on because I’m acting out of character.  What is going on with me?  Great, now I’m going crazy and talking to myself!’  With that, he headed to Leo’s office.  

            

            Sam pulled his car into the parking space in front of Mallory’s apartment.  He looked at his watch, one a.m.  Mallory was not going to appreciate him showing up unannounced at one in the morning.  ‘The fact that she won’t talk to me just kind of adds to her aggravation,’ he thought to himself.  Sam sat in his car and debated, should he go in or not?  

            ‘Hell with it,’ he thought again, ‘she’s already mad as hell, I might as well keep my streak alive.  There’s not much else I can lose.’

            Sam got out of his car and went to Mallory’s front door.  He knocked as loudly as he dared.  Then he waited…and waited…and waited.  Still no Mallory.  He knocked again…and waited some more.  Sam started to walk away when he heard the door crack open.  He quickly turned around to come face to face with a pair of red rimmed green eyes.  

            "What do you want?" Mallory snapped, "I figured you would get the hint when I didn’t pick up the phone.  You’re not exactly my favorite person right now."

            Sam looked guilty as he tried to apologize.  "I know that you probably hate me right now.  And I can’t say that anyone, myself included, could blame you."  He looked around, "Could I come inside?  I don’t want to do this out here.  Please?"

            Mallory stared at him, but then reluctantly let him in the door.

            

            Josh sat in his office trying to make sense of the events that had transpired in the last couple of hours.  He had been at a meeting with the President, shot at, in another meeting with the President, yelled at by his assistant, accepted pity from his assistant, offered to do something for his assistant.  ‘There seems to be a common theme there,’ Josh thought to himself, ‘and Donna keeps coming up more than anyone else.’  

            His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his office door.

            "What?" he answered, irritated to have his thoughts disrupted.

            "If you’re going to be cranky, I’m going home," Donna responded as she came into the office, "CJ’s looking for you."

            "Tell me, is there anyone in this building that isn’t looking for me?" he asked.

            "If I find them, I’ll let you know," Donna answered with a giggle.

            Josh let his thoughts wander.  ‘Boy, she’s got a great laugh.  It really can brighten my day.  Her eyes really sparkle…’

            "Josh, earth to Josh!"  He snapped back into reality at the sound of Donna’s voice.

            "Where were you just then?" she asked.  "You seemed a million miles away."  

            "Uh…nothing.  It’s no big deal," Josh assured her.  "You said CJ was looking for me?  I’ll go check on her right now.  Be right back."

            With that, Josh got up and quickly headed across the hall to his best friend’s office, leaving Donna to ponder the encounter.

            ‘Something is up,’ Donna thought, ‘I don’t know what’s eating at him, but after tonight I don’t think he should be left alone for too long.  I’ll have to keep special watch over him.’  She headed back to her desk.  ‘Special watch?’ her thought caught up with her again, ‘What is wrong with me?  I’m starting to sound like Josh!  Maybe whatever it is bugging him is contagious!’  She smiled to herself and settled back to work.

            

Mallory walked into her living room and settled herself on the couch.  Sam wasn’t sure what to say or do next.  He hesitantly walked towards Mallory and knelt in front of her.  She seemed so small and frightened as she sat wrapped in an afghan.  Sam looked at her and in that instant he knew for sure that this was the woman he was meant to be with if she would have him.

            "Mallory, I know I’ve done some crazy things since I first met you, and some of them I can’t take back no matter how much I wish I could, but I hope you will give me a chance to explain."  She looked intensely at him, but didn’t say a word.  Sam took this as a sign to continue.

            "Mal, when I first met you I didn’t know what to think.  Here I had met this wonderful woman, but she was my boss’s daughter.  Should I or could I even pursue this?  I would get so tongue-tied around you that I didn’t know what to say or do and there were always these sparks between us whenever we were together.  I saw Laurie as a safety net.  She wasn’t related to my boss, I could keep our relationship out of the office, or so I thought.  But, the more I was with her I began to realize that all she and I had was a friendship; there was something missing.  That something missing was the "spark" that you and I have.  The night that picture was taken I told her that I couldn’t see her anymore.  I had planned to call you the next day and tell you how I felt.  With the pictures though, I never got the chance," Sam said this as he reached out to brush Mallory’s hair away from her face.

            Mallory sat perfectly still as Sam’s fingers brushed her cheek.  She felt her resolve breaking down.  She wanted so badly to reach for him and say "Sam, I love you too and all I could think about tonight was that I might never get the chance to tell you." How easy that would be, but something inside her wouldn’t let her forget the humiliation she had suffered when she saw those pictures in the paper.  ‘Could we really have a future after his betrayal?’ she thought.

            

Josh poked his head into Sam’s office but he wasn’t there.  Josh went to Toby’s office in search of him.  "Hey Toby, have you seen Sam?"  Josh asked.

            "I imagine by this time he is at Mallory’s begging her to let him back into her life," Toby said.

            "Wow!" Josh said.  "What happened to him?"

            " I believe he was dealing with the repercussions of the photos and the events of this evening," Toby said without looking up from what he was doing.

            "What do you mean?" Josh asked.

            "I mean that the events of the last few weeks have helped Sam see what is important in his life.  These events have helped him see where Mallory fits in his life.  The only question now is whether or not Mallory will take him back.  Now if you will please leave me alone, I would like to finish this up and try to get a few hours sleep," Toby replied in is usual gruff manner.

            

Josh turned away stunned by a realization.  What Toby had been saying had made things perfectly clear to him.  After being shot at, you take stock of your life and see what you have and what you are missing.  What was missing in his life was true love.  Sure, he had had lots of relationships in the past and was sort of seeing Joey Lucas but none of those had any substience.  The love he was looking for had been right there under his nose and he didn’t even realize it until that very moment. He was in love with Donna.  The way he had been acting tonight just clarified it for him.  They had chemistry.  He slowly walked back to his office wondering what he should do, lost in his thoughts.

            ‘Should I tell her how I feel right now, or would she think I was just responding to the traumatic experience? I don’t know if I can see her day in and day out without letting her know how I feel.  What if she doesn’t feel the same way? Oh, man what if she’s given me a sign and I didn’t catch it?’ The thoughts in Josh’s head were coming so fast that he wasn’t paying attention and walked right in to someone.  That someone was Donna.

            "Josh, watch out," Donna said as she reached out to steady him.  With her right there in his arms, he knew he had to tell her how he felt no matter what the consequence.

            "Donna, I’m so glad I ran into you," Josh said with a smile.

            "Joshua, I’m tired and not really in the mood to play games.  What did you need?" she asked.  

            "Nothing, except to tell you that I love you," he said in an off-handed manner.

            Donna stood there in stunned silence as she looked at Josh suspiciously.  "Have you been drinking?"

            "No, I’m perfectly sober. But tonight’s events have made me think about my life and I’ve realized that I am in love with you.  You are the most important person in my life and I can’t imagine living without you.  You make me who I am."  Josh held both her hands in his as he said this.

            "Oh my gosh, you don’t know how long I have waited to hear you say that," Donna squealed.

            "You mean you feel the same way?" Josh asked.

            "Yes, I have been in love with you since the first day I met you.  I knew sooner or later you’d come around," Donna said.

            "Oh you did, did you?"

            "Yup," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

            "Well, I guess since I’ve been a little slow catching on we have a lot of lost time to make up for," he said as he pulled her into his office and kissed her gently on the lips.

            

"Sam, I want to trust you and believe you, but do you know how hard that is for me to do?"  Mallory began to feel some of the life come back into her.  She had felt dead the last few weeks.  She got up and began to pace.  Sam just sat there and watched her. 

 "You’ve hurt me so badly.  Just when I was beginning to think we had a future together I see those pictures of you and Laurie.  What a slap in the face!  How could you do that to me?"  She demanded.  The anger felt good.

            Sam stood up and walked towards her.  As he reached out to her something broke.  She flung herself into his arms and began sobbing.  "How could you?" she kept saying over and over.

            Sam just stood there holding her and stroking her hair until her sobs began to subside.  He gently led her to the couch and sat there with his arms around her.  

"Mallory I can’t make up for the past, but I can do something about the future.  From this moment on, if you’ll have me, I’ll show you everyday just how important you are to me.  I will never again doubt what we have, or take it for granted.  Please, please, give me that chance," he begged.

            Mallory looked at him and for the first time she saw the real Sam Seaborn.  He was no longer playing games.  This wasn’t just some speech he had written.  What he was saying was coming from his heart.  Mallory knew that if she let him walk out the door it would be the biggest mistake of her life.  She reached for him and in that instant they both knew everything was going to be okay.

            The horrible events of the evening led to happy outcomes.  One relationship had been salvaged while another had just begun.  Nothing would ever be the same again.  

The End

  



End file.
